Written Answers Thursday 20 August 2009

Scottish Executive

Apprenticeships

Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many apprenticeship places were available to 16 to 18-year-olds in the east end of Glasgow in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and how many have been available in 2009.

Fiona Hyslop: Modern Apprenticeship figures are collated by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). SDS do not record availability of places on the programme.

  However, details of Modern Apprenticeship start figures for those aged 16 to 18 in the east end of Glasgow (Shettleston) for 2006-07; 2007-08; 2008-09 are as follows. Figures for 2009-10 are not yet available.

  

2006-07
53


2007-08
63


2008-09
50



  In February, the Scottish Government agreed to fund an additional 7,800 apprenticeship places in 2009-10. Those living in the East End of Glasgow will be able to take advantage of many of these opportunities.

  Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many apprenticeship places were available to 18 to 25-year-olds in the east end of Glasgow in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and how many have been available in 2009.

Fiona Hyslop: Modern Apprenticeship figures are collated by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). SDS do not record availability of places on the programme.

  However, details of Modern Apprenticeship start figures for those aged 18 to 25 in the east end of Glasgow (Shettleston) for 2006-07; 2007-08; 2008-09 are as follows. Figures for 2009-10 are not yet available.

  

2006-07
65


2007-08
38


2008-09
30



  In February, the Scottish Government agreed to fund an additional 7,800 apprenticeship places in 2009-10. Those living in the east end of Glasgow will be able to take advantage of many of these opportunities.

  Margaret Curran (Glasgow Baillieston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many apprenticeship places were available to over 25-year-olds in the east end of Glasgow in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and how many have been available in 2009.

Fiona Hyslop: Modern Apprenticeship figures are collated by Skills Development Scotland (SDS). SDS do not record availability of places on the programme.

  However, details of Modern Apprenticeship start figures for those aged 25 and over in the east end of Glasgow (Shettleston) for 2006-07; 2007-08; 2008-09 are as follows. Figures for 2009-10 are not yet available.

  

2006-07
19


2007-08
30


2008-09
4



  In February, the Scottish Government agreed to fund an additional 7,800 apprenticeship places in 2009-10. Those living in the east end of Glasgow will be able to take advantage of many of these opportunities.

  Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit is of Skills Development Scotland regarding the apprenticeship guarantee for displaced apprentices continuing with training.

Fiona Hyslop: Skills Development Scotland solely manages the funding of the Adopt an Apprentice Scheme  on behalf of the Scottish Government. In the first instance training providers of displaced apprentices, contracted by Skills Development Scotland, should work with the apprentice to support the search for alternative employment which will allow the apprentice to complete their training.

  If it does not prove possible to source alternative employment the training provider would be expected to provide initial advice and guidance about possible alternative training opportunities. The provision of alternative training opportunities is managed in partnership between Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council and delivered through colleges. This reflects the ability of colleges to offer a variety of alternative training options to individuals.

Asylum Seekers

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions ministers have held with local authorities out with Glasgow to encourage them to enter into contracts with the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) since 17 May 2007, broken down by (a) date and (b) minister and local authority.

Nicola Sturgeon: Glasgow City Council are the only local authority in Scotland to take up a contract with the National Asylum Support Service (NASS). The contracts are between local authorities and UK Border Agency (UKBA). Therefore no discussions have taken place with local authorities out with Glasgow to encourage them to enter into contracts with UKBA.

Drug Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-24878 by Fergus Ewing on 8 July 2009, what disposals were applied to people caught with (a) heroin in 2006-07, (b) heroin in 2007-08, (c) cocaine in 2006-07 and (d) cocaine in 2007-08.

Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table. The information in the table is provided on the same basis as S3W-24878, answered on 8 July 2009, which related specifically to persons with a charge proven of either possession and supply of drugs or possession and intent to supply of drugs:

  Disposals Applied to Persons a with a Charge Proved for Supply/Possession with Intent to Supply Drugs Offences1, in Lothian and Borders Police Force Area in 2006-07 and 2007-08

  

Drug/Disposal
2006-07
2007-08


Heroin
 
 


Total supply/possession of heroin with intent to supply
41
63


Custody
25
32


Community sentence
9
16


Drug treatment and testing order
1
7


Monetary
5
5


Other
1
3


Cocaine
 
 


Total supply/possession of cocaine with intent to supply
10
22


Custody
8
17


Community sentence
2
3


Drug treatment and testing order
 -
 - 


Monetary
 -
2


Other
 -
 -



  Source: Scottish Government Court Proceedings database.

  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Includes only offences where type of drug was recorded against the offence.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Education

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that there is as smooth a transition as possible for all involved with the new school exam system.

Keith Brown: The Scottish Government and Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) are committed to working with all partners to ensure that the transition into the new qualifications is smooth and straightforward. Several measures are already in place to ensure this happens.

  On 31 October 2008, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning accepted the recommendation of the Curriculum for Excellence management board and announced an additional implementation year for Curriculum for Excellence. The new National 4 and National 5 qualifications will therefore be available from 2013-14. This additional year will ensure that schools, colleges and other providers will have sufficient time to engage with the details of the new and revised qualifications and prepare for their introduction.

  SQA have already begun planning for implementation, including work on business support systems. They will be working closely with other partners, including local authorities, Learning and Teaching Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges and HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE), to ensure a robust and realistic qualifications development programme. This will be overseen by the management board, representing all the key implementation bodies.

  Dual running of some qualifications in 2013-14 and 2014-15 will also help to ease the transition. This approach will ensure that candidates have the opportunity to progress to the next level within the qualifications system that best fits with the curriculum they have experienced, therefore ensuring they have a coherent educational experience.

  To support teachers in working with these new qualifications, they will receive continuing professional development (CPD) and other support to ensure that they understand the standards to apply. In addition to five days’ annual CPD entitlement, teachers will have an additional day for each of the next two years to help with training for Curriculum for Excellence, including the Senior Phase and qualifications.

Employment

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to create employment opportunities in the 15% most deprived areas.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government remains focused on delivering our core Purpose of increasing sustainable economic growth in all areas across Scotland.

  Through the Government Economic Strategy (GES) and the Economic Recovery Programme (ERP), we are using all the levers at our disposal to lead Scotland out of the downturn and position the economy to take early advantage of the recovery whilst recognising the importance of targeting support at those individuals, businesses and, where appropriate, communities that need it most. This action is supporting up to 15,000 jobs across Scotland.

  This includes the acceleration of £294 million in capital expenditure into 2009-10, on top of the £53 million in 2008-09, supporting 5,100 jobs across Scotland.

  We are also keen to ensure that European Social Funding (ESF) and the European Regional Development Fund are targeted, not only at hard to reach groups, but is spatially targeted at particular areas of Scotland which are the most deprived.

  PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) is also providing help to businesses and individuals facing redundancy and it is designed to provide this support to areas that need it most.

  All of these measures complement support from the Scottish Government through the £145 million per year Fairer Scotland Fund. The FSF is supporting all Community Planning Partnerships to tackle area based and individual poverty and help more people to access and sustain employment opportunities.

  Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Skills Development Scotland has any role in liaising with businesses, employability agencies, training agencies, colleges and Jobcentre Plus.

Fiona Hyslop: Skills Development Scotland (SDS) works both directly and in partnership with a range of employers, employability agencies, training agencies, Colleges and with Jobcentre Plus across Scotland. SDS co-ordinates its activity with Community Planning Partners, while work with employers is both direct and through third party contracted provision such as Accredited Training Organisations delivering Modern Apprenticeship Qualifications.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) maximum waiting time is for radiotherapy treatment in each NHS board area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not collect, hold or publish validated waiting times statistics for all radiotherapy. NHS boards that provide radiotherapy collect information about radiotherapy waiting times to inform service planning, scheduling and provision locally.

Housing

Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts that efficiencies in the housing association sector might be achieved from the joint procurement of cyclical maintenance activities as well as the joint procurement of new build and how it will encourage such joint procurement.

Nicola Sturgeon: Yes. The Scottish Government is working with the social housing sector to better share best practice in order to support the development of more efficient and sustainable procurement of both new build and services.

  Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether developing housing associations will be able to form alliances with private developers that could attract Housing Association Grant, as was envisaged in Firm Foundations, The Future Housing of Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: We would welcome Housing Associations forming partnerships with private developers if the resulting alliance can demonstrate it will support tenants and provide value for public money by reducing the amounts of subsidy required.

  Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to any concerns that collaboration with private developers in the social housing sector is not a high priority for the Scottish Government.

Nicola Sturgeon: Any such concerns would be unfounded. The Scottish Government is working with Homes for Scotland, within the Housing Supply Task Force. Homes for Scotland will also be a member of the collaboration, consortia and procurement working group which is being established following my announcement of 25 June on the way forward for investing in affordable housing.

  Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts that more support for registered social landlords (RSLs) might be available under the model whereby local authorities lend money to RSLs if those local authorities that have not pursued housing stock transfer did so.

Nicola Sturgeon: We are aware that a number of local authorities are considering lending to Housing Associations. The Scottish Government sees no distinction between stock transfer authorities and non-stock transfer authorities in this matter.

  Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25252 by Alex Neil on 21 July 2009, how it is promoting the finance available from the European Investment Bank to housing associations.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has made housing associations aware that funding is available from the European Investment Bank through The Housing Finance Corporation (THFC) and that this may be a further funding option for them. THFC have the lead in promoting this funding opportunity, following up on interest expressed by associations, and we are liaising with THFC about progress.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16605 by Stewart Maxwell on 9 October 2008, what the reasons were for placing a 12-week limit on home reports and what objections were raised to this limit during consultation or during the parliamentary committee investigations.

Nicola Sturgeon: To prevent the repeated use of an out of date Home Report, regulations made in terms of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 specify that the documents in a Home Report must relate to a date no more than 12 weeks before the date on which the property is marketed. This is referred to as the report’s "vintage" at the point of marketing and is distinct from the shelf life of the report.

  This period was discussed with representatives of stakeholders, including the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Law Society of Scotland, when it was agreed that 12 weeks was an appropriate period to include in the consultation on the regulations. A majority of respondents to the consultation supported this proposal. Some organisations felt that 12 weeks was too short, whilst some individuals felt it was too long.

  In response to concerns from the Law Society of Scotland during the consultation process, the regulations included an additional provision that allows a property to be taken off the market and returned to the market within 28 days whether or nor the "vintage" of the Home Report exceeds 12 weeks at that point.

  There were no objections raised on this subject during the parliamentary committee investigations.

  Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to commission an annual assessment of the need for affordable housing in light of its decision not to continue with the method developed by Professor Bramley and colleagues at Heriot-Watt University and what the results of any alternative modelling are.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government published new guidance for local authorities in early 2008 which provides a step by step approach to assessing housing need and demand across all tenures. Data from these assessments is expected from early 2010 onwards and will supplement national modelling of housing need. The last update of the Bramley model predated the credit crunch. The Scottish Government is currently considering how it could be updated in the light of significant changes in the economic climate

Maternity Services

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many live, single, premature babies have been born in each deprivation quintile in each year since 2001, broken down by NHS board and also expressed as a percentage of all births in that area.

Nicola Sturgeon: The following table shows the information requested for financial years 2000-01 to 2006-07. It has been necessary to group individual years’ data into three year rolling aggregates due to the small numbers involved.

  Live, single, premature births 1,2,3 (number and percentage of all births) by NHS Board of Residence and Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile 4; by three year rolling aggregates 2001-02 – 2003-04 to 2004-05 – 2006-07:

  

 
2001-02 – 2003-04
Deprivation Quintile


SIMD 1
SIMD 2
SIMD 3
SIMD 4
SIMD 5
Total5


Number of Births
 
 
 
 
 
 


Scotland6
1,302
1,451
1,559
1,969
2,791
9,142


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
67
79
98
220
233
697


NHS Borders
*
48
55
18
*
150


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
17
54
76
45
37
229


NHS Fife
64
111
123
127
172
597


NHS Forth Valley
74
99
94
160
126
553


NHS Grampian
265
212
188
141
118
924


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
295
231
273
391
1,228
2,418


NHS Highland
24
92
144
97
50
407


NHS Lanarkshire
70
113
177
255
318
933


NHS Lothian
318
214
207
347
297
1,383


NHS Tayside
88
183
90
143
200
704


Islands7
*
15
34
25
*
77


Percentage of all Births
 
 
 
 
 
 


Scotland6
4.5
5.2
5.5
6.4
7.3
5.9


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
4.4
5.8
6.5
6.8
7.6
6.5


NHS Borders
*
4.1
6.1
5.8
*
5.0


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
6.2
6.0
5.5
5.8
7.4
6.0


NHS Fife
3.7
5.3
5.8
5.8
6.8
5.6


NHS Forth Valley
4.8
5.5
6.4
7.2
8.1
6.5


NHS Grampian
5.3
5.5
5.7
7.1
8.5
6.0


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
4.5
4.9
5.8
6.4
7.8
6.4


NHS Highland
3.7
4.8
5.0
5.7
4.9
5.0


NHS Lanarkshire
3.3
5.0
4.7
5.6
6.1
5.2


NHS Lothian
4.2
4.8
5.7
7.3
7.4
5.7


NHS Tayside
5.2
5.8
5.2
6.8
7.0
6.1


Islands7
*
4.0
4.1
4.5
*
4.2



  

 
2002-03 – 2004-05
Deprivation Quintile


SIMD 1
SIMD 2
SIMD 3
SIMD 4
SIMD 5
Total5


Number of Births
 
 
 
 
 
 


Scotland6
1,391
1,509
1,598
1,983
2,902
9,460


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
76
90
92
221
265
744


NHS Borders
20
47
53
18
*
149


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
*
42
79
46
36
218


NHS Fife
69
112
125
135
156
597


NHS Forth Valley
70
96
94
152
118
530


NHS Grampian
261
231
205
158
127
982


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
324
245
269
401
1,283
2,522


NHS Highland
36
101
144
114
58
453


NHS Lanarkshire
84
109
205
260
308
966


NHS Lothian
342
249
206
326
324
1,447


NHS Tayside
91
169
86
125
216
687


Islands7
*
18
40
27
*
88


Percentage of all Births
 
 
 
 
 
 


Scotland6
4.8
5.3
5.5
6.4
7.5
6.0


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
5.1
6.3
6.0
6.9
8.6
6.9


NHS Borders
5.2
3.9
5.9
5.4
*
5.0


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
*
4.7
5.3
5.8
6.7
5.4


NHS Fife
3.9
5.3
5.6
6.1
6.2
5.5


NHS Forth Valley
4.4
5.0
5.9
6.7
7.5
5.9


NHS Grampian
5.2
5.8
6.2
7.7
9.3
6.2


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
5.0
5.0
5.6
6.3
7.9
6.5


NHS Highland
5.2
5.2
4.9
6.7
5.6
5.4


NHS Lanarkshire
3.9
4.8
5.2
5.6
5.9
5.3


NHS Lothian
4.5
5.5
5.7
6.6
8.0
5.9


NHS Tayside
5.4
5.4
5.1
6.0
7.7
6.0


Islands7
*
4.8
4.6
4.8
*
4.6



  

 
2003-04 – 2005-06
Deprivation Quintile


SIMD 1
SIMD 2
SIMD 3
SIMD 4
SIMD 5
Total5


Number of Births
 
 
 
 
 
 


Scotland6
1,383
1,561
1,668
2,009
3,002
9,690


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
80
102
100
238
261
781


NHS Borders
14
49
46
20
*
138


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
*
50
88
38
52
240


NHS Fife
79
93
124
124
169
589


NHS Forth Valley
68
85
92
143
112
500


NHS Grampian
245
239
206
152
125
967


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
324
257
299
415
1,313
2,608


NHS Highland
46
112
153
110
68
489


NHS Lanarkshire
91
113
227
275
330
1,036


NHS Lothian
336
269
201
334
345
1,485


NHS Tayside
85
170
89
132
218
694


Islands7
*
22
43
28
*
96


Percentage of all Births
 
 
 
 
 
 


Scotland6
4.8
5.3
5.7
6.3
7.6
6.1


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
5.5
6.8
6.4
7.2
8.3
7.1


NHS Borders
3.7
4.0
5.3
6.1
*
4.6


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
*
5.6
5.7
4.8
8.7
5.9


NHS Fife
4.2
4.5
5.3
5.4
6.6
5.3


NHS Forth Valley
4.1
4.3
5.5
6.1
6.9
5.4


NHS Grampian
5.0
5.7
6.2
7.3
9.0
6.1


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
5.1
5.3
6.2
6.4
7.9
6.7


NHS Highland
6.6
5.6
5.0
6.5
6.4
5.8


NHS Lanarkshire
4.5
5.0
5.8
5.9
6.3
5.7


NHS Lothian
4.5
5.7
5.5
6.5
8.1
5.9


NHS Tayside
5.3
5.4
5.3
6.4
7.7
6.1


Islands7
*
5.9
4.9
5.1
*
5.1



  

 
2004-05 – 2006-07
Deprivation Quintile


SIMD 1
SIMD 2
SIMD 3
SIMD 4
SIMD 5
Total5


Number of Births
 
 
 
 
 
 


Scotland6
1,359
1,518
1,663
1,954
3,014
9,587


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
71
88
113
242
281
795


NHS Borders
12
59
36
18
*
132


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
*
46
94
57
56
264


NHS Fife
82
89
129
104
171
576


NHS Forth Valley
74
74
81
133
116
478


NHS Grampian
251
254
208
170
121
1,004


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
292
248
279
387
1,299
2,507


NHS Highland
55
112
149
109
78
504


NHS Lanarkshire
81
114
227
250
349
1,021


NHS Lothian
345
260
209
317
335
1,466


NHS Tayside
82
155
93
129
201
660


Islands7
*
19
45
38
*
105


Percentage of all Births
 
 
 
 
 
 


Scotland6
4.8
5.1
5.6
6.0
7.5
5.9


NHS Ayrshire and Arran
5.1
5.6
7.2
7.2
8.7
7.1


NHS Borders
3.3
4.5
4.1
5.2
*
4.3


NHS Dumfries and Galloway
*
4.9
6.0
6.9
9.0
6.2


NHS Fife
4.3
4.3
5.3
4.4
6.6
5.1


NHS Forth Valley
4.4
3.7
4.6
5.5
6.9
5.0


NHS Grampian
5.0
5.8
5.9
7.8
8.3
6.0


NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
4.8
5.1
5.8
5.7
7.7
6.4


NHS Highland
7.4
5.5
5.0
6.7
7.4
6.0


NHS Lanarkshire
4.2
5.0
5.6
5.3
6.5
5.6


NHS Lothian
4.6
5.4
5.6
6.0
7.8
5.7


NHS Tayside
5.6
5.2
5.5
6.4
7.4
6.1


Islands7
*
4.6
4.9
6.5
*
5.2



  Source: SMR02, ISD Scotland, Ref: IR2009-01810 (S3W-26098).

  Notes:

  *Indicates values that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure.

  1. These data are derived from the SMR02 (maternity hospital discharge summary). It is estimated that an SMR02 has not been submitted for approximately 2% of births in Scotland.

  2. Excludes home births and births at non-NHS hospitals.

  3. Where four or more babies are involved in a pregnancy, birth details are recorded only for the first three babies delivered.

  4. Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. 1 = Least Deprived, 5 = Most Deprived. The SIMD has six domains (income, employment, education, housing, health and geographical access) at datazone level, which have been combined into an overall index.

  5. It has not been possible to derive a SIMD quintile for a small number of cases, due to missing/invalid postcodes. These cases have been included in the totals.

  6. Includes births where NHS board of residence is unknown or outside Scotland.

  7. Includes Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles NHS board areas.

Ministerial Meetings

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing has met (a) officers of NHS Lothian, (b) councillors from West Lothian Council and (c) the St John’s Hospital stakeholders group since May 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: I have met regularly with officers of NHS Lothian and councillors from West Lothian Council to discuss a wide range of issues.

  I fully supported West Lothian Council’s and NHS Lothian’s decision in March 2008 to set up the St John’s Hospital Stakeholder Group. I have not met with the group but I am reassured that representatives of West Lothian Council and NHS Lothian are working together on a regular basis to progress areas of common interest in West Lothian.

NHS Hospitals

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many new or substantially refurbished hospitals were (a) approved and (b) constructed between 1997 and 2007.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answers to questions S3W-17703 and S3W 17705 on 17 November 2008. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

National Health Service

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many buildings in the NHS estate were dated from pre-1948 in (a) 1997 and (b) 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not currently held centrally. Following the publication of the Audit Scotland Report Asset Management in the NHS in Scotland published on 29 January 2009, a new computer system designed to contain a common data set on estate performance across all NHS bodies is to be introduced. The system is currently in procurement and a detailed implementation and roll out plan is currently in development.

  Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the NHS estate is expected to pre-date 1948 in 2011.

Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-26165 on 20 August 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

School Meals

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what provisions are in place to ensure that children entitled to free school meals are encouraged to take them.

Adam Ingram: The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 places a legislative duty on local authorities to promote the availability of and encourage consumption of school meals, and, in particular, free school meals.

  As part of their inspection regime, HMIE will be monitoring implementation of all duties under the act.

  Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that healthy school meals are taken by children entitled to them.

Adam Ingram: The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 places a legislative duty on local authorities to promote the availability of and encourage consumption of healthy school meals, and, in particular, free school meals.

  Guidance to accompany the act was published in 2008 and can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi/foodnutrition.

Teachers

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the requirements are for school pupils to be supervised by a member of teaching staff during lessons and whether these differ according to the age of the pupils.

Keith Brown: Local authorities are statutorily required to employ teachers registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge for the posts in which they are employed. Individual local authorities will have local negotiating committee agreements regarding cover arrangements.